The Adoration of the Shepherds 1605 - 1669

Editor: Here we have Pietro da Cortona’s "The Adoration of the Shepherds," created sometime between 1605 and 1669. It's rendered in ink. There's something so fleeting about this sketch; it captures a beautiful scene with very little. What do you see in it? Curator: Looking at this drawing through a materialist lens, I am drawn to Cortona's economical use of ink and paper. The sketch isn't merely a representation of the Adoration; it's a product of specific materials available at a particular time and place. Think about the paper itself: Where did it originate? What was the labor involved in its production? And how did that impact its availability and cost, which, in turn, influenced Cortona's artistic choices? Editor: That’s fascinating; I hadn't considered that! The roughness of the sketch makes it appear quick, but considering the cost of the materials at that time, maybe it wasn’t so quick? Curator: Precisely. Moreover, examine the ink. What kind of ink was it? How was it manufactured, and what pigments were used? Knowing that the tools available also play an important role helps one appreciate how this drawing may have been created not as some "flash of genius," but a process influenced by those very constraints of 17th-century Italian materials and means of artistic production. How does that reading change your interpretation? Editor: It makes me think less about Cortona's individual brilliance and more about the broader context he was working within, as he created it using the cultural and material context of his time. So it gives a different, richer dimension to how I perceive the artwork. Curator: Exactly. Understanding the materials and production methods involved challenges us to think beyond the artistic genius. The process becomes important. Editor: This reframing provides valuable perspectives. It underlines the influence of the conditions of production. Thank you for your time.